Educator and actor an inspiration
Gene Kail poses for a photograph to be used for the jacket of his book "Praying for Freckles." • Photo courtesy of Lambing Press
By Tom Victoria
Gene Kail was a man for all seasons — a teacher and actor who impacted many lives.
Gene, who died at 72 in December 2016, inspired two decades of English students at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.
Jay Carson, retired senior vice president of Institutional Advancement at Robert Morris University and Central graduate, compared Gene to actor Robin Williams’ character John Keating in the movie “Dead Poets Society.”
Carson said Gene was one of a few brilliant English teachers at the school then that greatly influenced their students.
“We had a kind of ‘Dead Poets Society,’” Carson said. “Gene was one of those guys who opened me up to literature. He kind of had a breadth of knowledge.”
Gene coached several national champions in high school forensics’ competitive speech and debate. He eventually became department chair, and, later, assistant principal while still teaching a class each year.
After leaving Central to create the Office of Advancement for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Gene eventually founded his own firm, Eugene M. Kail & Associates, holding student writing seminars and helping many organizations deal with public relation issues.
In addition to Gene’s extensive teaching and communications career, he performed on the stage for decades.
Gene starred with Demetria Mellott in the musical "I Do! I Do!" at the South Park Conservatory Theater in the Pittsburgh area in the summer of 1985. • Photo courtesy of Hillman Library at the University of Pittsburgh
He starred in numerous productions at various theaters in the Pittsburgh area, including portrayals of Emile de Becque in "South Pacific" and Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha."
While playing Cervantes acting out Don Quixote’s tale, Gene already had been suffering the effects of Parkinson’s disease. The audience could not tell though as he bounded across the stage, losing himself in yet another role.
Dave Disney, no relation to Walt, but rather actor Will Disney, described Gene as a pleasure to deal with during productions.
“I’ve never heard anybody who had a bad thing to say about Gene,” Disney said. “He was a joy to have around.”
Disney said Gene was a prominent thespian in his region.
“One of the first people they called,” Disney said. “He would always comply.”
He said Gene never let a busy schedule stop him from staying in touch.
Gene also worked in commercials, acting and directing. He performed a role in the television movie “A Promise Kept: The Oksana Baiul Story.”
The performer focused his attention more to writing in his later years. Along with writing articles for magazines and newspapers, he penned a book of memoirs “Praying for Freckles.”
“I’ve never heard anybody who had a bad thing to say about Gene ... He was a joy to have around.”
Among many personal anecdotes, Gene wrote about growing up in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, where all ethnicities — Lebanese, Black, Irish, Italian, Jewish, among others — formed a community through the 1950s.
In one chapter, Gene relays the time his mother faced rioters who barged into the family bar following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King in 1968. After some of the teens and young men recognized Helen Kail, they acquiesced when she told them to leave after they picked up the stools that were knocked down upon their dramatic entrance.
The title of the book, which is still available through publisher Lambing Press (lambingpress.com), refers to Gene’s childhood as a Lebanese-American attending an Irish Catholic elementary school.
Gene even turned his ailment into a contribution to society. He was the co-chair of the annual fundraiser for the Parkinson’s Foundation Western PA.
Disney summed up the sentiment of all those who knew Gene Kail.
“We all miss him.”
Editor’s note: one article cannot begin to encompass the impact Gene Kail had on his family, friends, students, clients and colleagues. Without his encouragement, a writing career that culminated in this site would not have happened. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
“So when a great man dies,
For years beyond ken,
The light he leaves behind him lies
Upon the paths of men.”
The link to buy Gene's book, which is still for sale by Lambing Press, is: https://lambingpress.com/product/praying-for-freckles-gene-kail/